Allergies
by Sarae64
Summary: Sam has an interesting "allergic" reaction. Sam/Jack, Humor/Romance/Angst/SciFi, Complete
1. Chapter 1

Title: Allergies  
Author: Sarae  
Rating: T  
Summary: Sam has an interesting allergic reaction.  
Spoilers: Set in season seven. Tiny spoilers only for Brief Candle, Fire and Water, A Hundred Days, Divide and Conquer, Tangent, Descent, Frozen, Abyss, Paradise Lost, Metamorphosis, and Revisions.  
Status: Complete.  
Author Note: Special thanks to Rosemary who pushed and read and pushed and read…  
Disclaimer: Stargate Sg-1 and its characters are the property of Stargate (II) Productions, SciFi Channel, MGM/UA, Double Secret Productions, and Gekko Productions. This story is for entertainment purposes only and no money exchanged hands. No copyright infringement is intended. The original characters, situations, and story are the property of the author. This story may not be posted elsewhere without the consent of the author.

Allergies  
© 2003 Sarae

Chapter 1

The alarm was blaring in the 'gate room and the chevrons were being locked in sequence. Sam was finding it hard to suppress a chuckle as she watched Daniel fidget. She could tell he was anxious to get this mission underway. His enthusiasm was in stark contrast to Jack's lack of enthusiasm. For some reason, she found this amusing. She stole a quickly look at Teal'c. He was looking stoically at the Stargate as the last Chevron locked and the wormhole whooshed out toward them. It had gotten so that not one of them even flinched when a wormhole was engaged.

"SG-1, you have a go," said General Hammond, his voice coming over the speakers.

Jack turned back and saluted as Teal'c led the way up the ramp. Daniel was right on his heel. Jack motioned for Sam to precede him up the ramp and seconds later, they were all stepping out of the 'gate and onto a rock plateau on P74-113.

Sam stopped and took a look around. The planet didn't appear dissimilar from many of the others they'd visited over the years. But for some reason, this planet was far more appealing to Sam than any other she could recall.

There were trees – a fact she was sure the Colonel would comment on momentarily - blue skies with whispy white clouds overhead, mountains in the distance, and a babbling brook running off to their right. The temperature was moderate and a nice breeze wafted by stopping the sun from heating them up too much.

They were in for quite a walk, so Sam was relieved the temperature was so comfortable, it wasn't raining and the terrain looked relatively flat. MALP telemetry and UAV transmissions had revealed no indigenous intelligent life forms. Neither had revealed large predatory life either. The reason they had come was the UAV had returned images of a structure, a ruined structure, which had markings similar to those on the tablet they had retrieved from Abydos. Daniel felt they would find information that could help them locate the Lost City.

Archaeological expeditions on planets that looked too good to be true always caused Jack to grumble. And he'd been grumbling about this mission since before they'd stepped through the 'gate that morning. It was his desire to end this mission as quickly as possible that caused him to set such a brisk pace as they left the MALP, the UAV and the 'gate behind.

Despite the pace, Sam couldn't keep a smile from her face. This place was beautiful and she was enjoying the trek. She couldn't remember the last time she'd felt this good.

The structure they were hoping to reach was about 20 kilometers from the Stargate. Jack figured, from the relative position of the sun, that they'd have about five hours of daylight and he wanted to make it to the structure before they set camp. So, he kept up the pace.

About five kilometers into their journey, Sam's good feeling disappeared. It started with a sneeze, and then another and another…and another.

"You all right, Carter?" Jack said, without slowing or turning.

"Yes, Sir," she said and then smiled as Daniel held out a Kleenex to her. She accepted the Kleenex and blew her nose. That stopped the sneezing momentarily, but her nose continued to run and she found herself sniffling…a lot. Then her eyes started itching…a lot. Not having experienced an all out allergic reaction before, Sam was perplexed and naïve. She started by rubbing one of her eyes, but that led to more rubbing and then her eyes started watering, swelling and turning red.

Daniel, who'd spent a lifetime combating such symptoms, advised her to stop rubbing her eyes. He took his kerchief and poured a bit of water from his canteen onto it. He handed it to Sam and told her to hold it on her eyes for a second or two and then to wipe gently from the corner near the nose to the outer corner. Then he told her to leave them alone…no matter how much they itched.

Sam nodded and smiled her appreciation to him as she followed his directions. All the while, they kept walking. Sam found herself squeezing her hands into fists and feeling her nails bite into her palms as she fought the urge to rub her incessantly itching eyes. After a time, her ears and throat began to itch as well.

Daniel gave her several more tissues and she blew her nose several times as they continued to make progress toward the ruins. Teal'c had moved closer to Jack and Sam and Daniel had slowed some, though they were keeping up. Occasionally, Jack heard Daniel giving Sam advice or asking her questions.

She began making strange and unpleasant sounds as she attempted to "scratch" the internal itches by vibrating certain membranes in her throat. This had been a suggestion of Daniel's as well. Her attempts were rewarded with limited success, but definite irritation from her commanding officer. Daniel had just about driven him crazy on that first mission to Abydos and he'd be damned if Daniel was gonna start teaching Sam those annoying little habits he used to have.

"Carter! Are you going to live? Do we need to abort or what?" he asked as he stopped the progress, turned and gave her an exasperated look.

"I'm sorry, Sir," she said, feeling completely embarrassed and completely miserable. "I don't know what's wrong. I've never had allergies before…" she said, though her voice sounded like she had a nasty cold. Her nose was stuffed and her throat was scratchy.

One look at her and Jack immediately regretted his irritation. It was obvious she was suffering from a severe bout of "hay fever". He looked around and saw a shady spot under a tree. He looked at his watch and realized they'd been walking for nearly three hours. He decided it was time to take a short break.

"Hey…" he said nodding toward the tree. "Let's take five and get a bite, huh?"

"Thank you, Sir," Sam said and then sneezed.

"Gesundheit!" Jack said, cringing at the force with which she sneezed.

They all walked to the tree and each took a seat near the trunk, utilizing the shade provided by its sprawling branches. Each pulled out a snack bar from their packs and began eating. Sam was having difficulty getting hers down. Her appetite was all but gone and due to the irritation and stuffiness in her nasal passages, the bar seemed tasteless.

"Geez, Carter," Jack said, scrutinizing her carefully. "Don't take this the wrong way…but you look like hell."

She managed to chuckle, but nearly choked on a piece of bar she'd been working on. "Thank you, Sir. I've felt better."

"So…what do you think? You gonna be okay? You wanna continue or do we need to head back?" he asked, his voice betraying a bit more concern than he wanted it to.

"Oh, no…" she protested and then sneezed again. "I'm fine, sir. Really, it's more of an annoyance than a danger. I'm not running a fever…it's just really…irritating."

Jack couldn't help but feel a surge of protectiveness and pity toward her as he heard her stuffy-nosed reply. She really looked miserable and sounded miserable, but at the same time, she looked really adorable.

"Oh, hey…" Daniel said, as a thought occurred to him. "I almost forgot. I have some generic antihistamines with me. I mean, I've been taking shots so I haven't used these for a while. I still pack them in case we get stranded long enough for my shots to wear off, but…you wanna try one, Sam?"

"Yes, please," Sam said.

Daniel pulled his pack off and dug through it. He couldn't find the pills anywhere. Jack asked about their med kit and Teal'c was just about ready to open it up when Daniel found the right pocket in his vest.

"What is that stuff?" Jack asked before he let Daniel give it to Sam.

"Uh, I believe it's the generic form of Benedryl," Daniel said, squinting at the bottle label. "That should help calm the symptoms down and then I have this…Claritin. That should help keep them from recurring. You can take one of these tonight."

"Benedryl, Claritin, yeah, I've heard of those," Jack said, nodding as Daniel gave Sam the bottle. She quickly opened the bottle, extracted a pill, popped it in her mouth and swallowed from her canteen. In the time it took her to do that, she sniffed, four times and wiped at excess moisture from her eyes twice. Jack decided to give the medicine an hour. If she wasn't better, they were going to stop, set up camp and get some rest. They'd head back first thing in the morning. He wasn't going to watch her suffer any longer than he had to. They could figure out some medicine that would make her allergies better, or she could sit this mission out.

Sam's symptoms began to dissipate as they progressed. About thirty minutes after taking the pill, her sniffles had stopped and she no longer felt the urge to scratch her eyes right out of her head. Even the itching in her ears and throat had subsided.

"Wow…Daniel, thanks," she said smiling and feeling much better. "Man, I don't know how people with allergies handle that all the time."

"Oh, you get used to it," Daniel said.

"Really?" Sam said, surprised.

"No," Daniel replied and then chuckled. "No, I don't think you ever really get used to it."


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

They came to a rise in the terrain and Jack signaled for them to stop. He pulled out his binoculars and took a look at the shallow valley below them. They could now see the structure the UAV had depicted. The sun was getting ever closer to the tops of the distant mountains. Jack scanned the area for any unexpected movement. He saw none. Teal'c detected nothing. Sam detected nothing. So, they moved on toward the ruins.

As they descended the slight incline, Sam started feeling really relaxed. It had been nearly two hours since she took the Benedryl and more than an hour since her "hay fever" had subsided. Her eyes were no longer red or swollen, her nose had cleared considerably and she nearly felt as good as she had when they arrived.

Then she started feeling even "better" than she had when they'd arrived. Teal'c had elected to take the rear position with Jack in the lead and Sam and Daniel in the middle. He began to be concerned when he saw Sam's gait change slightly. Her hips started swaying a bit more.

Sam felt like she'd just had about three beers and a good meal. She was warmed even though the sun was setting and the breeze had picked up. She took her cap off so the wind could ruffle her hair.

Again, she found it hard to keep a smile from her face. Daniel noticed that she wore a dreamy smile and he smiled back at her. He was relieved she was feeling better. Without a word, she started walking faster to catch up with Jack.

Teal'c noticed her pick up her pace so that she left Daniel behind and joined up with Jack. Daniel hung back just a second or two until Teal'c caught up with him.

"Sam's feeling better," Daniel said.

"I am pleased to hear it," Teal'c replied.

"Yeah, me too," Daniel said, "but she seems a little…I don't know…drunk."

"How so, Daniel Jackson?" Teal'c asked, cocking his head to the side and raising one eyebrow.

"It was the look on her face, mostly," Daniel said, squinting in the diminishing light.

"What was the look on her face?" Teal'c asked.

"It was a…a drunken sort of dreamy smile," he said, unable to come up with a better description for it despite his linguistic skill.

Both stopped walking as they noticed Sam take her vest off, P-90 still attached. She let it drop right on the ground just as she was catching up to Jack. Jack turned to see who was approaching and was stunned to see Sam walk past him, unzipping her jacket as she went.

"Carter?" Jack said as she continued on, dropping the jacket behind her. Jack snagged the vest and weapon, and started trotting toward her, picking up her jacket as he went.

"Carter!" he yelled again, and this time he got her attention.

She stopped and turned, but almost too quickly because she almost fell. Fortunately, Jack was there to steady her, even as he held her jacket and vest.

She giggled as she caught herself using his arm to steady herself. "Oh-oh, oops. Sorry," she said and smiled. "Thanks, Jack," she said, looking at him and then biting her lower lip. "Guess I'm a little clumsy."

"That's okay," he said and then shook his head. "Wh-what did you just call me?"

"Hmm?" she said, leaning into him. She inhaled his scent. "Jack," she whispered, her lips coming inches from his ear. "That is your name, isn't it?" she asked in a low, silky tone that he had never before heard her use.

Alarms went off in his head and a he felt as shiver in his chest that was threatening to go south. "What the hell?" he thought. "Did she just "smell" me?"

"What are you doing?" he asked. "You took off your jacket," he said, gently pushing her away from him.

"I'm too hot," she said as she started tugging at the neckline of her t-shirt, and turning away from him. She continued to walk toward the ruins, swinging her hips as she went.

"Oh, yes, you are," he thought…and then forced himself to concentrate on the situation. Something was very wrong here. And as much as he'd enjoyed that little moment, it scared the hell out of him. He knew Sam would never, ever act like that unless something was horribly wrong.

"What's up with Sam?" Daniel asked as he and Teal'c reached Jack's location.

"Something…definitely something wrong," said Jack, never taking his eyes from her retreating and swaying form. Just then, he noticed her start to wobble. He dropped her stuff and immediately ran to catch her. He reached her just in time to stop her from banging her head on the ground as she collapsed backward.

"Carter? Sam?" Jack said as he cradled her head in his arms. He patted her cheek lightly, but got no response. Daniel and Teal'c were there seconds later and Teal'c was carrying the things Jack had dropped. Jack unhooked his P-90 and handed it to Daniel as he felt her neck for a pulse. He breathed a sigh of relief as he felt a strong, steady pulse under his fingers. But then he was immediately concerned when he felt the heat radiating from her skin.

"She's got a fever," he said while looking up and around him. They were only a few hundred yards from the structure now. Making his decisions quickly, he started giving directions. "Teal'c, you carry Sam, I'll take her stuff. Daniel, you go ahead and find us a place to pitch the tents. We've got to get her down and safe. It's getting dark."

Without a word, the concerned trio went into action. Less than twenty minutes later, they had two tents pitched and Sam safely reclined on a sleeping bag in one of them. Jack and Daniel had assessed her condition while Teal'c stood guard.

She was breathing normally, heart rate was strong and steady. Her temperature was 101.2 degrees and she had not yet regained consciousness. Jack told Daniel to trade off watch with Teal'c. He was going to stay pretty close to Sam throughout the night. He didn't plan to get much sleep.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

Jack spent the next few hours pouring water from a canteen onto a handkerchief and laying it on Sam's forehead to try and cool her, checking her temperature (which had remained steady), pulse and respiration. He would not allow himself to sleep. He didn't even lie down because he could not get his brain to shut down. It was alternately filled with concern for Sam and remembering the sound of her voice as she'd whispered his name in his ear.

She had, on occasion, stirred, and moaned. Each moan was a little different, though none of them sounded distressing, or rather they didn't sound as though she were in distress or discomfort. Rather, they sounded soft and deep, like she was having a very nice dream. This had caused his heart rate to increase and his breath to quicken each time. The adrenaline pumping through his system was enough to ensure that he would not sleep this night. Each time she moaned it seemed either Daniel or Teal'c had stuck his head in the tent to see if she had regained consciousness and fortunately, for Jack, each time he'd been sitting with his back propped up against the tent wall on the opposite side of the tent from her.

Her skin was damp with perspiration and her hair was curling around her face as it became wet. In between checking her, he sat back and just watched her. He really had been disturbed by how little it had taken for her to get under his skin earlier in the day. He found himself wondering what would have happened if she hadn't lost consciousness. Then he berated himself for having such thoughts while she lay there, ill.

Several hours before sunrise, her fever broke. Each subsequent check after that time showed a minor decline in her temperature. Jack poked his head out of the tent when it happened and told Teal'c, who happened to be on guard duty at that time. Then he returned to his sitting position and waited for his adrenaline levels to decrease.

"It really is a crime for someone to look so good when they're that sick," he thought as he watched her chest rise and fall with each breath. He was struck again by how erotic that little sniff and whisper had been that evening. He felt the little shiver start in his chest again and he took a deep breath. That had been a very bad idea, because that unleashed the shiver and it continued down through his belly and into his groin.

He looked away then and tried to think about something disgusting. His favorite trick was to think about a scene from "Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom". The scene where Kate Capshaw had to put her hands in that disgusting hole filled with creepy, crawly bugs in order to open a passage and save Harrison Ford's life usually did the trick. Fortunately, it worked for him again. It was at that time that Jack was finally able to lie down and at least close his eyes.

He really didn't sleep the entire night, so when the light started seeping into the tent, he crawled quietly out of the tent and spoke to the other two.

"Look, I think she's gonna sleep for another couple of hours. Go do a quick scan of the area. See what you can find. Stay within radio range. When she wakes up, I'm gonna signal you guys and as soon as you get back, we're outta here."

They nodded and immediately set off to explore what they could while Sam continued to sleep. When they were out of site, Jack returned to the tent to check on Sam. He was surprised to find her eyes opened. Well, she was trying to open them. They would open a bit and then they would close and he could see her eyes moving beneath the lids. Then she would open them a bit again. He watched this happen a few times as he worked his way closer to her.

"Damn," he thought as he kneeled down next to her, "this was a stupid idea. I should have left Teal'c here and joined Daniel." He knew he'd have gone nuts listening to Daniel, wondering about Sam and he knew Teal'c paid far more attention to detail than he. Teal'c would be far more useful to Daniel than he with the limited time they had to explore.

"Hey…" he said as it appeared her eyes had focused on him at last.

She smiled and reached her hand up toward his face. He took hold of it to prevent her from stroking his cheek. "Jack…" she said, smiling. "Mmm…" she moaned softly again as she shifted onto her side to face him. "Come here…" she said, softly as she pulled, with some surprising force, on his hand.

Reluctantly, he leaned in a little closer, just in case she needed to whisper something to him. She reached her other hand up and slid it around the back of his neck. When she was unable to pull him further down to her, she pulled herself up nearer to him instead. So near, in fact that the shiver in his chest started again and he inhaled deeply. His breath caught there as he felt her breath hot against his neck, just below his left ear.

Then she did it again…she smelled him. "Ooooh…" she moaned, her lips mere millimeters from his earlobe. "You smell soooo good," she half-whispered in that tone she'd used the evening before.

Jack wanted to move. He wanted to stop her, but he just couldn't. He was so stunned, he froze, motionless, as he slowly exhaled, trying to calm himself. Then he felt her lips touch his earlobe, and her tongue flick out to taste it. He inhaled again sharply as the shiver dove south and exploded into a burst of heat in his groin. Her mouth was moving down his neck when he finally regained his faculties, released her hand and moved his hands to squeeze her biceps gently as he pushed her back down and away from him.

He used the back of his hand to touch her forehead as she smiled dreamily up at him. He could detect no fever…at least in her. He wasn't so sure about himself.

He slid his hand down to cup her cheek and she closed her eyes, smiled and turned into his palm, kissing it before he could jerk it away. She sat up with surprising speed as he started to back even further away. She reached and grabbed one of his hands with both of hers as he tried to retreat.

"Jack…please…" she said, her eyes pleading, begging him not to leave.

"Carter…you're really not yourself, right now," he said gently tugging his hand free. "You should rest some more. I'll be right outside. You rest a bit and then we'll head back. Doc will get you fixed up in no time."

He backed out of the tent and took a deep breath as he shifted the weight on his feet a few times to "make an adjustment". He blew the breath out and rubbed his head with his hand. "What the hell was that?" he thought. He really wished she'd just slept a little longer.

Suddenly, she was standing behind him, her lips and nose nuzzling him from behind and her arms snaking under his, searching for the zipper on his jacket and starting to unzip it. He turned, quickly to stop her progress and the next thing he knew she was kissing him. Those soft, warm lips were meeting his, her hands coming up to caress his face.

"Oh, God," he thought, "forgive me," as he found himself returning the kiss. His arms wound their way around her and he pulled her in closer as her tongue teased his lips and his lips parted to let it in. He knew he should stop her, but he really didn't want to stop her. It had been far too long since he'd kissed her but the memory came rushing back to him. He relished these few moments because he knew it had to end and he'd have to make this last a long time. He honestly didn't know how long they'd been kissing when he finally managed to make himself stop. He pushed her back, holding her arms at her side.

"Sam, stop," he said, frowning. "You really don't want to do this."

"Ooooh," she purred, "yes, I do." Her eyes began roaming the length of him and her hands began moving again, struggling against him.

"No…" he bent his head slightly to engage her eyes and bring them back into contact with his. "Listen, you're not feeling right. You've been sick all night. We need to pack things up and get back to the 'gate."

"Oh, I'm feeling just fine," she said, smiling seductively. "In fact, I haven't felt this good in years," she said as she extracted her right arm from his grasp. She rubbed her fingers on her forehead, her eyes closing, as her hand continued down her cheek, her fingers splaying out as her hand continued down her neck. She tilted her head back slightly as her hand continued down between her breasts and lingered there.

Jack released her other hand as he reached up to activate his radio. "Two hours, my ass," he thought. "This ends now." Then he realized he hadn't put his vest on yet and that Sam stood between him and the tent, where the vest currently lay.

He started toward the tent, but she stopped him.

"Come on Jack," she said, reaching out to touch his face again. "What's the deal? Why do we do this to ourselves? What's the point?"

"You know what the point is, Major…and that would be Sir, to you," he said, trying to put some command tone in his voice, but finding it difficult.

She chuckled, "Yes, Sir." She saluted, but it was done in a mocking manner. "Come on, loosen up. I know you sent Daniel and Teal'c away. They'll be gone for a while. Who would ever know besides us?"

"Carter," he said, "we would know. I know that there's something really wrong with you or you wouldn't be acting like this."

Sam tried to understand what he was saying. She knew there were regulations against the kind of thing she was suggesting, but she also knew Jack was not above bending or even breaking the regulations if it would help a situation. It would so help her situation if he would just do that now. She felt so alive at this moment, so aware - aware of him, aware of herself, her body, her needs. She had dreamed about him all night long and she was ready to quit dreaming and start acting on some of her desires.

She thought through some of the moments and emotions that had led her to the way she felt at that moment. To some degree the jealousy she'd felt begin when Kynthia lured him into her bed on Argos. The vulnerability and desire to be comforted when they'd all thought Daniel died in an inferno. The tug at her maternal instincts each time she'd seen him interact with a child: Cassie, Charlie, Merrin, Loren, and most recently, Nevin.

The intense jealousy and cutting despair she'd felt when they finally made it back to Edora. The heartbreak and guilt she felt when he wouldn't leave her behind on Apophis' half-completed mother ship. The temporary thrill and then deep frustration when she'd learned that he, at some level, returned her feelings for him, but knew that neither one could act on them. The relief and joy she'd experience when they pulled he and Teal'c off that disabled deathglider in the middle of nowhere in outer space. The terror and then resignation she'd felt when they nearly drowned together on Anubis' submerged ship. The fight she'd had with herself when she'd asked him to blend with Kanaan temporarily because she could not face continuing on without him and the intense guilt she'd felt when he'd returned from Ba'al's clutches, extremely bent, but not entirely broken.

The heat she'd felt rekindled but continued to bury when she saw him, dirty, scruffy, tanned, thin and injured after he'd returned from the moon with Maybourne. The need to be comforted by the only one who could when Nirrti screwed around with her DNA and no longer caring who saw that need. Meeting a teenage version of him had only served to cement those feelings she'd been fighting to keep buried for so long and now, she just didn't want to keep them buried any longer. Her desire for him was so intense at this moment. More intense than anything she'd ever felt before. She knew she wasn't supposed to act on these feelings, but right now, she just didn't care. She really just wanted to…

"Teal'c, Daniel," Jack said into the radio. He'd managed to get back into the tent and reach his vest. He was trying to hurry so he could get back out and keep an eye on his very…uninhibited Major. "Come in."

"Go ahead, Jack," Daniel's voice came over the radio.

"Wrap it up and get back here," Jack said, as he picked up his vest and tried to slide his arm in one side, hunched over as he was to avoid hitting his head on the tent.

"We need a few more minutes, Jack," Daniel said.

"We don't have a few more minutes," Jack said, whispering loudly so he didn't yell.

"Daniel Jackson believes he may have discovered something," Teal'c responded as Daniel went back to trying to decipher the writing on the device he'd found.

"Well, if you can bring it with you, then bring it. Otherwise leave it. We have to get back…now!" Jack said and then froze as Sam came back into the tent.

"Has Major Carter taken a turn for the worse?" Teal'c asked, his concern evident in his voice.

"Uh, you could say that," Jack said as Sam reached out and took the radio and vest from his hand.

"You didn't have to do that?" she said and the pain and rejection she felt came shining through her eyes. Suddenly, his chest felt very heavy. He knew he'd caused that pain and he hated doing it.

"Well, we need to get back," he said.

"I just wanted a little time with you," she said, her eyes shining. "I just wanted…" her voice trailed off as her eyes followed her hand. Her hand was now caressing his cheek. She was closing the gap between them, moving in to kiss him again when he moved, faster than he thought he could.

"That's so not gonna happen…not here, not like this," he said as he grabbed his vest and backed out of the tent right into Teal'c.

"Whoa!" Jack said as he jumped forward and nearly tripped on the front edge of the tent.

"Is something wrong, O'Neill?" Teal'c said as Jack straightened his jacket and finally managed to get his vest on. "You appear to be flushed. Have you contracted Major Carter's fever?"

"Oh, something is definitely wrong," Jack said, as he put some distance between himself and the tent. "But it's not with me."

"Has Sam's fever returned?" Daniel asked, puzzled.

"Uh…no…not the fever," he said, pausing as he tried to decide how to put it. "She's, uh, not herself."

"How so?" Teal'c asked.

"She has absolutely no inhibitions, whatsoever, and she's been all over me since you left," Jack said, grimacing slightly as he stood straighter.

"All over you…" Daniel said, squinting in some confusion.

"Do I have to spell it out for ya?" Jack asked, frustrated and a tad embarrassed. "She's a tad randy," he said, using his fingers to make quotation marks as he said randy.

"Oh," Daniel mouthed and then bowed slightly as he tried to hide the smile he was sure Jack did not want to see. Regaining his composure, he turned back, "So, she's really not in any danger at the moment? She's not burning up with fever or her allergic-type symptoms have not returned…"

"No, Daniel, she doesn't seem sick, but I'm telling you that something is definitely wrong."

"Is it like the time when she attacked you in the locker room…you know when we returned from the land of the light?" Daniel asked, ever the curious and analytical one.

"No…no, not exactly. I mean, she didn't come at me with a lot of force," he said and paused, knowing he sounded ridiculous, particularly since Sam had not yet come out of the tent - a detail that was causing him to grow rather curious and concerned. "Look, I know Carter and something is definitely wrong. We are going back to let Doc Fraiser check her out…now."

Yeah…right…let's get this packed up," Daniel said, noting the concern in Jack's voice and the way his eyes kept darting toward her tent. He pushed his amusement aside and started into action.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

Daniel and Teal'c began taking down the other tent as Jack gingerly peeked his head into Sam's tent. What he saw was almost more disturbing than her advances had been. Sam had curled up into a fetal position and was lying on her side. From there he could see the tear-stained tracks on her cheeks.

"Oh, man," he thought. "I hope she doesn't remember any of this when she gets better."

"Hey, Carter," he said, softly. "You okay?"

When she didn't respond, he moved further into the tent. "Hey," he said as he approached her. He knelt down beside her and brushed at the tears on her cheek with one finger. "Come on, it's okay…"

His touch caused her to uncurl herself and roll away from him as she maneuvered into a sitting position, facing away from him. "I'm so sorry," she said in a barely audible whisper.

"Don't be," he said as he reached out to put a hand on her shoulder and give it a little squeeze. "You aren't responsible for what happened."

"Yes, I am," she insisted. "I'm just so tired of fighting this. I thought…I mean you said…oh, never mind."

"Come on," he said, "dry off those tears." He handed her the handkerchief he'd used to cool her forehead during the night. "Teal'c and Daniel are packing up so we can get going."

She took the handkerchief and dabbed at her eyes. Then she moved off the sleeping bag and started rolling it up. She continued to sniffle, though and Jack just couldn't take it anymore.

"Come here," he said, and motioned for her to come closer. She complied and he drew her into a hug. "It's okay," he said, in a consoling voice. He really hated seeing her cry. Thankfully, he hadn't seen her do it often. When she cried, his stomach twisted into knots.

She buried her face in his shoulder and slumped against him. Then he felt her shudder as a new round of sobbing erupted. "Oh, man," he thought, "this is not working."

"Shhh…" he whispered.

She reached her arms out and wrapped them around him. Her shudders began to subside as she neared crying herself out. She raised her head up slowly. Jack was ready to let her go, but she was clinging to him, so he relaxed a bit and let her hang on for a few more seconds. He knew she was in a fragile place and he didn't want to shatter her again.

Her mouth was near his ear again and he could feel her breathing on his neck. "I'm so sorry," she whispered again. "I just couldn't help it. I can't explain it…"

"I know," he said, and stroked the back of her head with his hand. "It's okay."

"No," she insisted, "It isn't. Please," she stepped back slightly and looked him in the eye, pleading, "just tell me you still feel…something for me."

"If you only knew what you were doing here," he said as he gently pushed her away again. He could not have this conversation with her. Not now, not here, not when she was like this. It was at that moment that Teal'c decided to stick his head in the tent.

"We are ready to return to the Stargate, O'Neill," Teal'c said and then raised a brow as he saw Jack pushing Sam away. "Do you need more time?" Teal'c asked.

"No!" Jack responded, a bit more loudly than he'd intended. "We're ready to go. Let's get going." He turned back to her, his eyes softening, "We'll talk about this later."

She nodded, and then bowed her head. After a few sniffles, she looked at Teal'c for a second and what he saw in her eyes disturbed him. Her eyes were red and swollen again and he could see that tears had run down her face. She sniffed as she turned away to pick up her sleeping bag.

"Have your allergies returned, Major Carter?" Teal'c asked.

"No, Teal'c," she said as she moved toward him to exit the tent, "but I wish they would." She was beginning to think anything would be better than what she was currently experiencing. She wondered if she'd go mad before they made it back to the Stargate. Part of her didn't want to go back because she didn't want anyone to see her like this. She was seriously trying to hold it together.

Ten minutes later, they were walking back to the Stargate. Jack was taking the lead again. He wanted to be a distance from Sam and he knew the other two would watch out for her as they walked. Teal'c decided it was best to take the rear and so, once again Daniel was walking with Sam.

Jack kept his ears open as he set the pace. He was in a hurry to get her back, but he didn't want to push her too hard. He didn't want a recurrence of her passing out.

Daniel kept glancing at Sam, but she didn't seem to notice. She hadn't said a word since they'd started back. She just kept staring straight ahead, her eyes never leaving Jack's backside.

More than once the silence had gotten to Daniel and he'd tried to engage her in conversation. He'd been unsuccessful and so by the time they'd reached the 'gate, they had actually formed a single file line. Daniel dialed the 'gate, Teal'c send the IDC and minutes later, SG-1, the MALP and the UAV had safely returned through the 'gate.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

Jack had signaled ahead to have Dr. Fraiser standing by when SG-1 arrived. He'd requested that Dr. Fraiser be the only medical personnel standing by. He'd refused to explain further when so many others could overhear what he would say.

Jack requested that SG-1 be allowed to go the infirmary as soon as they arrived. Hammond nodded, setting his curiosity aside as he watched the quartet and the petit doctor exit the 'gate room. He would follow up on them as soon as he heard from SG-2.

Janet had a lot of questions, but no one seemed to be offering information. The look Jack had given her and the tone he'd used suggested he wouldn't be saying anything until they had a bit more privacy. When they reached the infirmary, Janet noted the look that passed between Jack and Sam, as well as the concerned looks from Daniel and Teal'c. Rather than take them to an examination area, she ushered them into her office.

Sam said nothing as Jack began to explain, but Janet noticed that she was a bit fidgety…and that she rarely took her eyes off Jack.

"Something…" Jack said, "…is seriously wrong with Carter. She needs to have a full examination."

"What seems to be the trouble?" Janet asked, looking at Sam. She expected Sam to answer her question, but was surprised when Teal'c answered instead.

"Shortly after we arrived on the planet, she began to experience allergies," Teal'c said.

"Allergies?" Janet asked.

"Yeah…hay fever-like symptoms…sneezing, itchy eyes, runny nose, itchy ears, throat…she looked and felt miserable," Daniel interjected. "I gave her a Benedryl and it seemed to relieve her symptoms."

"I see…" Janet said as she looked back at Sam. She noticed that Sam had moved a little closer to Jack and that she didn't seem to be paying any attention to what was being said by her teammates. She appeared to be completely distracted.

Jack noticed too. He also noticed that she no longer seemed to be feeling quite as dejected as she had in the tent. He noticed that the dreamy look had returned. Part of him was happy to see that. The other part was still very concerned.

"Then she became feverish and lost consciousness," Teal'c continued.

By now, Jack had moved further behind Janet's desk and further away from Sam's current position.

"Yes and she had the fever for several hours," Daniel added. "Her fever broke very early this morning."

"That's good," said Janet. "Did you give her anything for it?" she asked, her voice trailing off as she noticed Sam inching her way toward Jack again.

"No…she was unconscious. Her pulse was strong and her respirations were regular, so I just applied a cool compresses and let her ride it out," Jack said.

"So, what, exactly is the problem?" Janet asked, her curiosity growing with each passing second.

"Sam can't seem to keep her hands off Jack," Daniel said, looking off to the side and not making direct eye contact with Janet as he spoke.

"What?" Janet asked.

"Yeah, which is why I want you and only you to be treating her," Jack said. "I want her put into isolation. I don't want any more fuel for the rumor mill, Doc. Look, something's wrong…she's not herself. She's moody, distracted and uninhibited as hell. She'd never do what she's been trying to do, if she were in her right mind."

Sam stopped her fidgeting and looked at Janet, her eyes pleading, "Please, Janet, you've got to help me."

"Of course, Sam," Janet said and took Sam's hand. "Let's go take a look, shall we?" She led Sam to an isolation room and started her examination. SG-1 took that opportunity to go and get out of their gear.

Janet ran Sam through every all kinds of tests. She took plenty of blood samples as well and then she decided the infirmary was not the place for her. So, Janet called and arranged to have one of the VIP quarters set up for her. She wanted Sam to be as isolated and comfortable as possible as she tried to figure out was wrong.

Sam could not wait to get out of her clothes and into a shower. As she started taking her clothes off and checking the room out, she noted that there was a tub-shower combo available in the VIP suite. She was thrilled with that unexpected discovery and opted for a combo. She started out sitting in the tub with the shower just running over her head. Then, once she'd scrubbed and washed and rinsed most of the grime and grit from her hair and body, she filled the tub with steaming hot water. It all felt so good.

She was really wishing she had some of her personal things there. She would have loved to pamper herself with her bodywash, her shaving gel, her shampoo, conditioner, body spray, and lotion. Still, she felt very relaxed and very comfortable.

"Now, if only…" she thought and then tried to push that thought away. She'd come to realize that Jack was not going to reciprocate her feelings. It had devastated her when she'd first realized it, but she had come to accept it. Still, she found herself clinging to a tiny hope that she'd be able to change his mind. She'd just wait for the right opportunity.

Relaxed as she was, she decided to lie down and rest. Before long she was sleeping and dreaming. At least in her dreams they could be together.

Janet called General Hammond and the male members of SG-1 to a briefing in her office. It had been several hours since Janet had left Sam in the VIP quarters and from what Janet could see on the monitor, Sam was still sleeping. The male members of SG-1 had been thoroughly examined as well. They'd been given the okay to go eat and shower. They had been instructed not to leave base until they heard from either Janet or General Hammond.

"There are several things going on with Sam," Janet said as she pulled up images on her computer monitor. "Her endorphin and serotonin levels are off the charts. She also has highly increased levels of several hormones. Otherwise, she seems quite healthy. These chemical imbalances could certainly explain the behavior you described and the behavior I've seen since she returned."

"What's causing that?" Jack asked. He'd been listening intently to every word Janet said.

"Unfortunately, I haven't yet determined the cause. There are still a few results I haven't gotten. I've considered giving her various medications to try and counteract the imbalances, but since she's been resting comfortably…"

"And none of you had any abnormal reactions while on the planet?" General Hammond asked.

"No, Sir," Jack said as Daniel nodded no.

"I did not," Teal'c replied.

"And you discovered nothing unusual in your examination of them?" the General asked Janet.

"No Sir," she said. "They are all perfectly healthy."

"So, what?" he continued. "Whatever this is affects only women?"

"I don't know that, Sir." Janet replied, "It is possible, but I can't say that for certain."

"Is she or the base in any danger?" the General asked.

"I can't rule it out until I know why this happened," she replied. "But at this point, I'd say the risk is minimal."

"Keep us posted, Doctor," Hammond said as he rose.

"Yes, Sir," she said as she rose out of her chair as well. Jack and Teal'c had already been standing, but Daniel got up when the General did.

"SG-1, let's take this to the briefing room and conduct that post-mission briefing," Hammond said as he headed for Janet's office door.

"Uh, General, Sir," Daniel said before Hammond could make it out the door.

"Yes, Dr. Jackson?"

"I'm gonna stop by my lab and pick up a few things for the briefing. I'll get there as quickly as I can."

Hammond nodded his agreement and then continued on his way.

"What're you getting?" Jack asked as they followed the General down the corridor.

"Well, you told me to bring it with me if I could, so I did," Daniel said as he turned away from the rest of them to head to the elevator.

"Bring what?" Jack asked as Daniel retreated. Then he turned to Teal'c. "Bring what?"

"I do not know," said Teal'c.

"Ah, well…" Jack said as he continued his trek toward the briefing room with Teal'c at his side.


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

Jack was tapping a pencil on the briefing room table and General Hammond was just about to ask him to stop when Daniel arrived, slightly out of breath. He took his seat and apologized for delaying them.

"So…what did you go get?" Jack asked.

"Colonel O'Neill said his decision to bring Major Carter back for medical treatment left you very little time to explore the ruins," General Hammond said letting Daniel know that they had already covered some ground in his absence.

"Yes Sir, but I did report over the radio that I had found something. And he told me that if I was able, to bring it with me. So I did," Daniel said, pulling out a plastic sample bag and opening it. "I was confused by the writings I was seeing on the walls. They seemed to make no sense. But then we found an opening in one of the walls. We had just opened it and had gone inside when Jack called us back."

"There were remains in the room, but we were unable to determine whose remains they were," Teal'c interjected.

"Yes, but something was very out of place there. It looked familiar, but I couldn't place it. So, I brought it back with me and I'd intended to go through the archives to see if I could match it to anything. I just haven't had a chance to do that since we returned," Daniel said as he pulled out device that was a little larger than a PDA, but had a similar type of view screen.

"I did not see that in the room, Daniel Jackson," Teal'c said as he looked at the device Daniel was holding up.

"I know. It was over on that shelf. I spotted it just as you were talking to Jack on the radio," Daniel said.

Jack leaned forward looking rather irritated. He recognized the device. "And you didn't think to mention this before now?" he asked.

"No…" Daniel said, looking a bit confused. "You recognize this?" he asked, his brows rising in surprise.

"We have seen such a device before," Teal'c said.

"When…where?" Daniel asked.

"It's one of Machello's doohickeys," Jack said, anger beginning to build.

"Machello…" Daniel said, and his brow furrowed as he tried to remember.

"Of all the…your memory is something else, you know that?" Jack said, standing. "Machello…the crazy old guy that hijacked your body and went on a little holiday? Creator of inventive ways to kill Goa'uld across the universe?"

"You have previously been adversely affected by more than one of Machello's inventions," Teal'c replied.

"Not just him…" Jack said. "We all have."

Just then, the phone rang and Jack walked over to answer it.

"O'Neill," he said into the receiver. He listened for a moment and then responded, "We'll be right there." He put the receiver down and turned to the others. "Fraiser has something she wants us to see."

The all rose and made their way to the Infirmary.

Janet showed them into her office and each took the place they had been previously.

"I just got these images from an electron scan of Sam's blood," she pulled up an image on the screen. "It appears Sam has some foreign particles in her blood. Now, there are three similar but slightly different type organisms. They all appear to be related, but varied strains of a micro-virus. These two here…" she pointed to two similar but slightly different shaped objects. 

There were several of them present on the screen. Some appeared smaller and they were floating free. "…appear to be attenuated and in some cases, dead. I think these may have been what caused the allergic reaction she experienced. Her body most likely released histamine to fight the foreign particles. They are probably being absorbed as they die, because we are seeing far fewer of these present. However this…" she pointed to a larger object which appeared to be attached to an even larger object. "…appears to be attached to the protein marker that Jolinar left behind. There are more of these and I believe they are replicating."

"I pulled a sample of Goa'uld blood and mixed a little of Sam's with it," she said as she pulled up a new image on the screen. Everyone present could recognize the three types of particles. The two that had been floating free in Sam's blood were attached to different substances in the blood. The one that had attached itself to the protein marker in Sam, appeared to be floating free. "It appears these particles are meant to attach to Goa'uld blood components. Luckily, Sam only has one in her blood. I have no idea what they would've done if they'd all managed to survive and propagate. I think it was a good thing you no longer had your symbiote, Teal'c."

"Is there anything you can do?" General Hammond asked, concern evident in his voice.

"I started her on a broad spectrum antiviral," Janet said. "I don't know if it will be effective or not, but it's all I have to try at this point."

"Dr. Jackson has just revealed that he found a device on the planet that could have been created by Machello," General Hammond said. "I want you to work together on this. It seems plausible that this virus and that device are somehow connected."

Janet's eyes grew wider in surprise at hearing that news. "Well's that's interesting," she said.

"Yeah," Daniel agreed. "Apparently everyone but me remembers him."

"You don't remember him?" Janet asked.

"Uhm…" He looked the device in his hands and then back at her. "…No."

"Perhaps we should return to your lab and retrieve the information you previously recorded on Machello, Daniel Jackson. Your memory of him may return," Teal'c suggested.

"Good idea, Teal'c," said General Hammond. "Keep me posted on Major Carter's condition," he told Janet as he got up to leave again. "Let's get as much information as we can about this virus."

"Yes, Sir," Janet said.

A few minutes later, just Jack and Janet were left in her office.

"So, whatta ya think, Doc? That stuff you're givin' her gonna work?" Jack asked.

"I hope so, Sir," she said as she took a seat behind her desk. He took the chair General Hammond had been using. "She's still resting. Sure wish I knew what she was dreaming about," Janet said.

"Why's that?" he asked.

"Because she's had a smile on her face the whole time. At least she's in a happy place when she's sleeping."

"Yeah," he agreed and turned to look at Sam on Janet's monitor. The security camera had a nice angle on the top of the bed. When zoomed out, the camera could show most of the room. When zoomed in, one could monitor a person sleeping.

"You know, Sir…" Janet said, trying to be careful in how she phrased her next comment. "Sam cannot be held responsible for her actions while under the influence of this virus."

"I know," he said. "I wasn't planning to."

"But the virus seems to have only amplified and intensified feelings and ideas that already existed. I can find no evidence that it planted any ideas in her head," Janet continued.

"What's your point?" he asked.

"That's it," she said, putting her hands up in a "this is all the further I'm going" way.

"Yeah…thanks," he said. "Is she gonna remember any of this when she gets better?"

"That I don't know," she said, shaking her head. "There isn't a whole lot I do know at this point. I'm just going to give her another couple of hours and then run another blood test. I'm hoping to see less of the virus and more of the unattached protein markers."

"Yeah," Jack said, "me too. I'll be in Daniel's lab if there are any changes."

"I'll let you know, Sir," she said and stood as he did.

He nodded and left her to look at some more of Sam's test results.


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7

Despite Jack's fidgeting and generally distracting presence, Daniel and Teal'c were making progress on the device and on his memory of Machello. Teal'c recounted the two previous encounters SG-1 had with Machello or his devices. Then Daniel read through some of his journals from those two periods. He was finding it difficult, but things were coming to him.

Unlike the first computer they'd retrieved, this computer was not encoded in the same language. This one had several dialects of Goa'uld encoded on it and from what Daniel could decipher, the messages were all the same. "What you seek, you will not find. What you fear, you will not see. What I seek has now been done. Vengeance is in the very air you breathe."

"So, it appears this was engineered by Machello?" Janet asked, looking at the three of them.

"Yes," Daniel said.

"But the last time we encountered one of Machello's inventions, he used that same protein marker to deactivate the little slimers," she reminded them. "Why would he use the same protein marker as a target for this?"

"Perhaps he didn't," Daniel said. "Perhaps this was an earlier invention, perhaps it was a later one. I don't know. Did you run our blood samples through the same scan?"

"Yes, after we discovered the virus in Sam's," Janet responded. "There were trace particles in each of your samples, but if I'd waited any longer, I suspect we wouldn't have detected them at all. As they had nothing to attach themselves to, they apparently never activated and did not even trigger a histamine response."

"Yes, well…" Daniel put in, "perhaps the two unattached particles are not what triggered the histamine response in Sam either. Perhaps he did use the protein marker to deactivate this virus as well. I mean, the most she suffered was a moderate fever and some fatigue – aside from the allergic response."

"She suffered a lot more than that…" Jack said.

"Well, to someone in any other situation than Sam's, what she "suffered"…" Daniel replied, using his fingers to make quotation marks, "…would have just been a real nice drunk. From what you've told me about Machello and from what I've started to remember, he would have considered that an…acceptable inconvenience. His goal would still have been met. He would have killed the Goa'uld in any being. At least that's my best guess. I have no idea what would have happened to the host or Jaffa carrying the Goa'uld."

"Interesting theory," said Janet, nodding. "I'll run some more tests and see if I can verify it further. In the meantime," she paused and looked directly at Jack, "Sam's latest test reveals that the two unattached viral particles have been absorbed and the third is being reduced by the medication. She has been awake for about an hour and she appears to have forgotten just about everything. She remembers having the allergies and taking the Benedryl. After that, she says it's all a blur."

"Good," Jack said, feeling a wave of relief and a hint of regret. Part of him wanted her to remember, but he knew it was best if they could just put the whole incident behind them. That way, he was really the only one who knew exactly what happened.

"Can we see her?" Daniel asked.

"Yes. In fact, I'm sure she would love to have some visitors," Janet said. "If the next blood test turns out the way I think it will, I'll be releasing her back to active duty."

"That is welcome news," Teal'c said as they turned to leave.

"Keep the visit short, though, will you?" Janet cautioned. "Let's let her get completely virus free before we let her get back to her workaholic tendencies."

"You got it, Doc," Jack said with a smile.

Sam was sitting on the bed, reading a book when they arrived. Daniel knocked on the door and poked his head in first. She smiled when she saw his face. He opened the door and the others file in after him.

"Hey, Sam," Daniel said returning her smile.

"Hi guys," she said. "Have you come to spring me?"

"Not just yet," Jack said, coming out from behind Teal'c.

Sam blushed slightly when she saw him, but quickly moved on with her conversation. "So Janet tells me this could have been cause by something Machello invented?"

"It would appear so, Major Carter," Teal'c said.

"Guess it's a good thing you don't have "Junior" any more," Sam said.

"Indeed," Teal'c replied.

"So, you don't remember anything?" Jack asked, unable to keep his curiosity at bay.

"Well, Sir, it all seems like a dream. I really can't distinguish between when I was awake and when I was asleep. I remember taking the Benedryl. I remember feeling warm. From there it all seems unreal."

Jack raised his brows and nodded his head slightly.

"If I did anything I shouldn't have, I'd like to apologize…"

"There's no need to apologize, Major," Jack said, cutting her off. "We're just glad to see you up and around and feeling like your old self."

"Well, I'll be feeling like my old self when I can get out of here and get back to work," she said.

"Don't rush it, Sam," Daniel said.

"Okay, Doctor Jackson," Sam said smiling. "Geez, I get enough of that from Janet."

"Is there anything you require, Major Carter?" Teal'c asked.

"Just to be cleared for duty," Sam said. "But I appreciate the offer, Teal'c."

"Well, we should probably let you get back to your book," Daniel said, turning his head slightly and squinting to read the cover. "K-PAX…is it good?"

"Yeah," she said, setting it down and sliding off the bed as the trio started toward the door.

"Well, thanks for stopping by," she said, following them.

"See you tomorrow," Daniel said and walked out the door. Teal'c bowed slightly and then followed Daniel.

"See you guys," Sam said, giving them a little wave.

Jack hung behind for just a few seconds. "So," he said, in a low voice. "Did you have pleasant dreams?"

Sam blushed again and looked away for a second, fighting an embarrassed smile. When she brought her eyes back to meet his, she'd regained her composure. "Actually…yes, Sir."

"Good," he said and then turned to walk out the door.

"But," she added as he headed out the door, "the dreams don't hold a candle to the real thing."

That comment stopped him head in his tracks just a few steps into the corridor. He turned back to face her. The look on her face said it all. Like she had on so many previous occasions, she was letting him know, with just a look. She was letting him know that she remembered.

"You're right," he said, "they don't."

"Thank you," she said, sincerely.

"Any time, Carter," he replied.


End file.
